All It's Cracked Up to Be
by Meredith Girl
Summary: The sequel to The Fortune Cookie's Always Right. Rory and Logan return to real life after running away to Europe for the summer only to find that some things changed while they were away, and not necessarily for the better...
1. Europe or Bust

**The Fortune Cookie's Always Right 2: All It's Cracked Up to Be**

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**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my imagination. 

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! Back by popular demand (or at least a handful of requests), I bring you the sequel to **The Fortune Cookie's Always Right**. Now, you should probably read that story first. But if you're too impatient, here's a summary. (Note: stop reading right now if you actually intend to read the first story.)

_WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:_

_The first story began halfway through the Yale Male Party in Season 5's "The Party's Over." Logan doesn't rescue Rory with a mere cock-and-bull story about being her boyfriend; he gives her a mind-blowing kiss in front of the entire room. Rory and Dean don't break up that night; instead, they drag things out while Dean grows more jealous of Rory's male friends, especially Logan. Things come to a head at a New Year's Eve Ball hosted by the DAR. Dean sees a particularly hot midnight kiss and breaks up with Rory. Rory and Logan hook up that night only to break up when Logan drops her in favor of a return to his playboy lifestyle. Realizing he can't get Rory out of his head, Logan decides to do everything he can to get her back. After much effort on his part, Rory decides to give him a second chance. They take a spontaneous trip to Paris where they take their relationship to the next level. When in Paris, a situation arises where Logan buys a set of wedding rings for Rory and himself as a ruse for a moralistic hotel owner. They decide to keep the rings once they're home, but no longer wear them. This leads to confusion and rumors and a confrontation between Logan and Rory and his parents. Logan says 'I love you' in the worst possible moment, and Rory refuses to believe him. A conversation with Mitchum leaves Rory wondering if she and Logan are kidding themselves, because they are going to lead very different lives. She breaks up with Logan in order to get some distance before she ends up falling completely in love with him. A few months pass, during which Lane and Zack get engaged and Rory and Paris try to get over their boyfriends, failing miserably. Finally, Logan makes a grand gesture that convinces Rory that he loves her and wants to be with her for the right reasons. She admits to him that she's in love with him too, and Logan convinces her to go away to Europe for the summer. It is unclear as to whether or not a comment he made means that he was proposing or just being facetious…_

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CHAPTER 1: EUROPE OR BUST

* * *

Rory stepped into the sun, her sleeveless linen dress blowing in the soft breeze. Her summery heels clicked on the cobblestone as she put a few yards between herself and the hotel. She put her hand over her eyes, scanning the piazza for Logan. A warm grin spread across her face as she saw him give a brief wave from a tiny table underneath an umbrella at the corner café. She walked over to join him, removing her wide-brimmed hat and sitting it on top of her purse in a nearby vacant chair. 

"Don't you look lovely today," Logan said, leaning forward to kiss her across the table before relaxing back into his chair and picking up a menu.

"Thank you," Rory said, tucking her loose wavy hair behind her ears. "Sorry I took so long. Can I just say that fancy Italian shoes feel so much fancier when you buy them in Italy? Now when I go home and Babbette asks 'where did you get those snazzy shoes, sugar?' I can say 'Italia!'"

"You can indeed," Logan said, chuckling at her Babbette impression.

Rory perused her menu. "So, did you have a nice walk while I was getting ready?"

"Yeah, I actually talked to a guy who gave me the names of several small galleries that we should check out," Logan replied. "Mom was in a redecorating mood when we left, so to ease the blow of skipping out on the family for one last summer, I figure I'll buy her a little Picasso to make up for it."

"Good idea," Rory said casually. She still couldn't figure out the messed-up relationship Logan seemed to have with his parents, although it did seem very Lorelai-ish, with maybe a bit more polish.

"Buongiorno," said the waiter, walking to their table. "Caffè?"

Rory most definitely recognized that word in any language. "Sì, certamente!"

Logan grinned. "Due cappucinos, per favore," he said, holding up two fingers.

The waiter bowed slightly and went to retrieve their coffees.

"Did you stay up last night memorizing your Italian phrasebook while I slept?" Logan teased. "I thought I was the multi-lingual person here."

"No, but I did memorize certain key words and phrases: yes, no, please, thank you, where's the bathroom, do you speak English, and do you serve coffee."

"The most important questions, naturally," Logan deadpanned.

"Exactly," Rory said airily. She looked at her menu again. "Ok, so I have no idea what's on this menu. My Italian food translation begins and ends with spaghetti, ravioli, and any other pasta name we already use in America."

Logan smiled and closed his menu. "Not to worry, I got you covered."

"Ok," Rory said, slightly worried, "but just don't order anything that's gonna look back at me, ok?"

"Ace," Logan chided, "don't you trust me?"

He meant to be flippant and tease her, but his words struck a chord within her. "Yeah, I do," she said softly, reaching for his hand across the table. She thought about all that had happened so far; after a crazy school year of ups and downs, they decided on the spur of the moment to go off to Europe for the summer. Well, it was spur of the moment for her. Logan was probably planning it for at least a few hours in advance.

Rory smiled as Logan rubbed his thumb absentmindedly across her hand, watching some children playing by a nearby fountain. She made the right choice by going with him. After all that angst, it really boiled down to one thing: he loved her, and she loved him back. They were having an amazing summer, and she was insanely content, more content than she had ever been in her life.

"Y'know," Rory said thoughtfully, "a girl could really get used to this lifestyle."

"Oh yeah?" Logan said, returning his focus to her face.

"Yeah."

"Well, what can I say. When the Huntzbergers do something, they go all out, and a honeymoon is no exception," Logan said.

Rory smiled. "Yeah, well, all I can say is I'm ruined now."

"Ruined? How?"

Rory sighed dramatically. "Well, when it comes time for me to have a _real_ honeymoon, nothing is ever gonna compare with this!"

"Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something," Logan said casually, playing with the rings adorning her left finger.

Rory raised her eyebrows. "A bit presumptuous, are we?" Logan feigned an innocent look, which Rory rolled her eyes at. "What makes you so sure that I'm actually gonna marry you someday?"

"Well, look at all the things I've got going for me," Logan said. Rory waited expectantly. He ticked the items off on his fingers. "I'm rich, handsome, I'm going to have a fantastically important job when I grow up – which will be next year – and I belong to a family who practically runs Hartford society…"

"Yes, and so far I'm only hearing cons. What are the pros?" Rory teased.

"Well I happen to have a very important pro."

"And that is?"

Logan leaned down, as if he were about to impart a great secret. "I love you."

Rory felt butterflies in her stomach as her cheeks flushed. She would never tire of hearing him say those words. "Well, that's a hell of a pro." She leaned over to kiss him.

"A-hem. Due cappuccinos," the waiter said, interrupting their moment.

"Grazie," Logan said, winking at Rory. He proceeded to order a light breakfast assortment of rolls and jams.

"So, what would you like to do today?" Logan asked after the waiter left.

"I think we should check out those galleries you mentioned, and then maybe hit a museum or two. After all, this is Roma!" Rory said.

"Fair enough. Do you want to do a little shopping this afternoon?" Logan asked, taking a sip of his cappuccino.

"We can. Although I'm starting to worry about our spending habits. I think we've been a bit too extravagant this week," Rory worried.

"Relax, Ace. Nothin' my card can't handle," Logan said, waving her concerns away.

"I suppose." Rory still wasn't used to having so much money at her disposal. She felt bad for spending Logan's money, though he assured her she was barely making a dent. "I guess I'm also concerned about space. We've been shipping so much home, I'm worried my mom's house will be overtaken by a sea of boxes!"

"Well considering that half those boxes are gifts for her – and, come to think of it, the entirety of Stars Hollow – I think she won't mind," Logan said, smiling.

"That's true," Rory said. "Did I tell you how jealous she is?"

"You didn't have to. She told me so herself. Remember, when you passed the phone to me when we arrived in London?"

"Oh yeah," Rory remembered. "That was right after she threatened to cross the Atlantic to kick your ass."

Logan smirked. "Yeah, well, she threatened to have me castrated if I lose you on a train or bring you home with the Asian bird flu. This threat was immediately followed by a diatribe on how jealous she was that you got to return to Europe and an insinuation that if we came back with biscotti all would be forgiven. And if I came back with an international chocolate assortment of Ritter, Cadbury, and Milka bars I would be crowned king and get a t-shirt with her face on it and a speech bubble saying 'I love this guy.'"

Rory snickered. "Oh yeah. I forgot that part."

"Right, because it's so forgettable," Logan said, raising an eyebrow.

Rory smiled. "I wonder what she's doing right now?" She paused to consider the time difference. "I guess she's sleeping, but a few hours ago she would have been… oh, man!" she realized…

* * *

"Could you pass the potatoes, Mom? Seriously, my peas are lonely." 

"Lorelai, why on earth do you persist in personifying your food?" Emily huffed.

"Because…it's fun?" Lorelai offered.

"Here are your potatoes. Now answer my question. Where is Rory? This is the third Friday night dinner she's missed," Emily said.

"I told you, she had a thing," Lorelai said, scooping some food onto her plate. "Mmm, great potatoes, Mom. Are they Irish or Idahoan? Is that how you say it, Idahoan? Or is it Idahoite?"

"Stop changing the subject, Lorelai. What 'thing'? Last week you said her friend Lane's band was playing an important concert, and the week before that you said she was sick."

"Yes! Sick! Exactly. She's sick again, Mom. I tell ya, these kids. They don't wash their hands enough. I'm always telling her to wash her hands more, but does she listen? No. I mean, you'd think after two years of religiously watching Grey's Anatomy she would learn the importance of hygiene, but I guess it's just not sticking. Did ya see the one with the guy with the finger? 'Cause that was seriously gross. The finger, anyway. And also, how do you feel about Callie and George? Because I think she's too big for him. Not like fat big, but like her face looks twice the size of his big. Although, Meredith's never gonna go for him, so I'm glad he's let that go. Which leads us to the next big question: McDreamy or McVet?"

Emily ignored Lorelai's rambling. "Well is it serious? Should we send a doctor or call to make sure she's ok?" Emily asked, concerned.

"Nooo," Lorelai said, waving her hand. "She'll be fine. It's really very minor."

"Well if it's so minor, then why isn't she here?" Emily said expectantly.

"Uh, well, you see, it's strep throat. Highly contagious. I just thought that you wouldn't want a contagious child breathing all over your house. I'm thinking of you here," Lorelai said.

"I see," Emily said, frowning.

"Lorelai, we're not stupid," Richard said, speaking up for the first time. "I know you may think that we are out of touch, but I can certainly tell when I am being lied to, and you, my girl, are doing a poor job of it. Now is Rory really sick?"

Lorelai sighed. There was no getting around it. She had to tell them sometime. "No, Dad. She's on a trip. She'll be back in a few weeks."

"A few weeks! Where'd she go, Timbuktu?" Emily exclaimed.

"No, no, not Timbuktu," Lorelai said evasively.

"Where, then?" Emily asked.

"Um… Europe?" Lorelai said in a small voice, wincing in anticipation of her mother's screeching.

"Europe!" Emily exclaimed.

"With whom?" Richard demanded.

"Oh, you know, a friend."

"What friend?" Emily asked.

"Just a friend. From Yale. You like Yale friends," Lorelai said.

"In general, yes, but which Yale friend in particular?" Richard said.

Lorelai sighed and stared at her chicken. "Logan. She went to Europe with Logan."

"Oh my God," Emily said immediately.

"This is extremely inappropriate, extremely," Richard said.

"How could you let her _do_ something like that, Lorelai? How could you let her just go off with a boy?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. You were the ones who pushed them together in the first place. And besides, it was her choice," Lorelai said defensively. "It's not like I'm completely comfortable with it, but Rory's grown now and makes her own decisions, and I couldn't stop her if I wanted to."

"Of course you can, you're her mother," Emily scoffed.

"Ok, we've all reacted to the news, so can we change the subject now, please?" Lorelai pleaded. "So what do you think of Bush and this whole Middle East thing? Pretty tense, huh? Probably much more tension there than at this table. Though I bet they could go neck and neck. I mean, if there were a way to measure tension, whoa, it would be a totally close race."

Emily ignored her. "They shouldn't be traveling together, it's just not done. This is entirely inappropriate. Rory and Logan should not be taking trips together, especially extended ones. It's not proper. I know Rory is a strong girl, but even the strong ones could potentially… she could give in to her hormones, and be spoiled forever."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I don't think this trip will spoil her, Mother."

"Well it certainly can. She's an exceptional girl, but nobody's perfect," Richard said.

"Yes. And what if Logan tries to take advantage of her?" Emily worried.

"Look, Rory's sex life is none of our business," Lorelai began.

"Oh my God, did you say sex life?" Emily interrupted. "Richard, did she just say sex life? I think I'm going to be ill. Where's that maid, I need some aspirin."

Lorelai sighed. "Mom, it's college. Rory's been making her own decisions for awhile."

"We need to do something, we need to stop this," Richard said emphatically.

"Please, leave her alone," Lorelai pleaded. "Besides, you can't do anything about it from here," she reasoned.

Suddenly, Emily stopped her moaning. She went strangely calm. "Of course, Lorelai, you're absolutely right. There's nothing we can do here. We might as well continue with our dinner." Richard shot her a questioning look.

* * *

"Goodnight, Lorelai. Drive safe," Emily said, waving to Lorelai from the front door. She shut the door and leaned on it from the inside. "Come on Richard, we've got to pack." 

"Pack? Whatever for?" Richard said, confused.

"Europe," Emily said simply, brushing past him.

* * *

Next time on **All It's Cracked Up to Be**: Logan and Rory's passionate tour of Europe is interrupted by two unlikely - oh, who are we kidding, very likely - suspects. Meanwhile, back in Stars Hollow, someone unexpected comes back to town throwing a kink in some very important plans... 


	2. Surprise!

**The Fortune Cookie's Always Right 2: All It's Cracked Up to Be**

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**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but my imagination. 

**Author's Note: **I know this story is going in a different direction than the summary for the time being, but it's going to take a few chapters to get them back home. But don't you worry. The real drama is waiting for them back in the school year, as is that secret Stars Hollow guest. However, first we have a mini-problem to take care of…

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CHAPTER 2: SURPRISE!

* * *

Rory sighed and flopped back onto her pillow. "That was… oh my God, I can't breathe," she said, staring at the ceiling and gasping for air. 

"I know," Logan groaned into her neck. He rolled off her and mopped the sweat off his face, easing his head onto the pillow and moaning into her hair.

"Oh man," she groaned, starting to laugh. "That was amazing." She pushed the bangs off her forehead as she turned to look at Logan. Sweat was glistening off both their bodies, and she barely had enough energy left to lift a finger, tracing a bead of sweat as it made a trail down his chest.

Logan lazily caught her hand, holding it to his chest. "I know, I was there," he said cheekily.

"Mmm," Rory acknowledged, giving him a slow, sensuous kiss. Logan smiled into the kiss and reached around her, pulling her close. Her body was still humming from the surprise session of morning sex as she settled into his arms. They lay there in a comfortable silence.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

"No," Logan whined, tightening his grip on Rory.

"I'll get it," she said, reaching across Logan to grab the hotel phone. "Hello?"

Logan was too tired to take advantage of her shifting over him, and he was almost settled into a state of half-sleep when he felt Rory tense.

"You're where?" she said.

He opened one eye to watch her expression long enough to see her visibly relax. "It's like 4 a.m. your time, what the hell were you thinking? Well I know you have a private – you can't possibly be so bored that – you – oh, fine, here he is," she said, grumpily handing the phone to Logan.

"It's for you," she said.

Logan raised an eyebrow when she didn't offer any more information before getting up, throwing on a plush robe and padding to the bathroom.

"Huntzberger," he answered.

"_Logan! My brother, my friend, my best mate! How the hell are you?"_

"Finn?" he asked incredulously. "What are you doing up so early – wow, so freaking early your time – wait a minute, how did you get this number?"

"_Ah, yes, I can see your brain is clearly still not functioning at full capacity, most likely due to mind-blowing sex with your beautiful girlfriend. She had sex-voice too."_

"Finn…" Logan warned.

"_Oh, shut up, Colin already informed me of the inappropriateness of that comment. But back to you, you should know better than to suspect I am up this early. You ought to know I'm _still_ up."_

"And again I ask: how did you get this number?" Logan said, rubbing his eyes in resigned frustration.

"_The lovely Lorelai."_

"She gave you our hotel number?" Logan said, surprised.

"_Yes, apparently our goals were overlapping. She was going to call you today anyway, but she gave me the number under the provision that I would give you a message for her."_

"And that message would be?"

"_Well I've bloody forgotten it, don't you know how early it is? Anyway, that's not what's important."_

"Alright. So what _is_ important?"

"_We're here!"_

"Who and where?" Logan asked suspiciously.

"_Who do you think? Colin and I. We got fed up with being abandoned and decided to come be with our third musketeer… and his lovely lady, naturally."_

Logan realized why Rory tensed. He watched her return from the bathroom to sit on the bed beside him, listening to his end of the conversation.

"And your precise location?"

"_Ah, yes, well, we got your number, but failed to remember the location, so we're in London right now."_

"London, huh? Well I guess by now you've figured out we're still in Rome."

"_Brilliant! We'll be there in a few hours."_

"Wait – Finn!" Logan said.

"_Yeah?"_

Logan looked around wildly. "Um, could you hold on a sec?"

"_Sure, as long as I can sing my own hold music."_

"Yeah, you do that, I'll be right back," Logan said wryly, pulling the phone away and covering the receiver.

"They're in London," he whispered to Rory.

"I know," she whispered back.

"I can't believe they couldn't survive for three freaking weeks without their fearless leader," he groaned. "What are we gonna do?"

Rory picked at the sheets. "I dunno, what do you wanna do?"

Logan squinted at her. "You know I don't want them to tag along, right? I mean, this is meant to be _our_ summer."

Rory visibly perked up at the word 'our.' She thought a moment. "I know, but we can't exactly run away from them… can we?"

Logan laughed at the hope in her voice. "Not likely. They're smarter than they appear. What if we designate one city, one weekend with them, and give rules and boundaries? You have to admit they're fun sometimes, and if we give them a weekend maybe they'll go home and… I don't know, bother Stephanie."

Rory grinned. "Sounds like a plan. What should we tell them?"

Logan thought. "How about Amsterdam? We'll meet them there in a few days. There's plenty there to keep them occupied until we get there."

"Good choice," Rory agreed. "They can see the Van Gogh museum, the Rembrandt House, Living Tomorrow - "

"The Sexmuseum Amsterdam, the free-agent prostitutes, the marijuana cafés…" Logan continued. Rory's mouth dropped open until she realized as far as Colin and Finn were concerned… he was right.

"Agreed," she said with a nod.

Logan put the phone back to his ear and was treated to a concert.

"_Don't cry for me, Argentinaaaa, the truth is I never left you…"_

"Oh Jesus," Logan said, rubbing his face. "Finn," he said.

"_All through my wild days…"_

"Finn."

"_My mad existence…"_

"Finn!"

"_I kept my promise, don't keep your distance…"_

Logan tilted the phone away. "I hate it when he does showtunes," he said, looking dolefully at Rory. She barely managed to suppress a giggle.

"_Don't cry for me Argen-"_

"FINN!"

"_Sorry, yes?"_

Logan sighed. "Amsterdam, three days, I'll give you a ring at the usual place, ok?"

"_Alright, but it was really rude to interrupt me in the middle of the chorus."_

"I'm sorry, Finn," Logan said, managing to sound somewhat sincere.

Finn sniffed. _"Apology accepted. Just don't let it happen again. Later."_

"Bye," Logan said. "Oh, wait, Finn, are you sure you don't remember what Lorelai told you to -" But he was cut off with a dial tone.

"What?" Rory asked as Logan hung up the phone.

"Apparently your mom had a temporary lapse of insanity and trusted Finn to deliver a message for her."

"Ah. Well, I'll call her in a little while," Rory said, shrugging it off. After all, it couldn't be that important.

"Alright," Logan said with a yawn. "So, ready for the next city?" he asked, pulling her back down.

"Hm, I guess so," Rory said, lifting the covers and snuggling in beside him.

Logan wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her upper arm as he thought. "Alright… let's see… we could rent a speedy little sportscar and tour the countryside, or we could check our Eurailpass and pick a train destination," Logan suggested.

"Ok, let's see…" Rory rolled over and grabbed a book before settling back down. "Well, we've done Spain and Portugal, the south of France, Switzerland – hey, did you get the chocolate for my mom?"

"Yeah, remember? We sent a two-week supply home. She better share with the neighbors or her 'van down by the river' impression is gonna get a little help from nature."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Right. Ok, so we still need to do all of Eastern Europe, but since we're going to be in Amsterdam in three days, we might as well head in that direction. So I say… Austria or Belgium. Which do you think?"

Logan considered the options. "Austria's gonna take awhile… I think we should spend a few days in Salzburg, but Vienna is going to be gorgeous, and there's a lot to do. I say we go on to Belgium and head back down through Germany and Austria before we attempt Eastern Europe."

"Ok," Rory said, putting the book away as she tried to hide a smirk.

"What?" Logan asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing… it's just that I'm turning you into a planner," Rory said with a hint of glee.

"You are not! I'm still the spontaneous cad we all know and love," Logan said, defending himself.

"Oh, but I beg to disagree. I'm winning you over to my side! Pretty soon you'll be making pros and cons lists. You'll be planning your every move, completely organized, and – mmph!" Rory was cut off when Logan chose that moment to attack her lips, pulling her robe open with a swift tug and entering her in one fluid movement.

He broke off the kiss long enough to throw in one last comment. "What was that part about planning over spontaneity?" he said with an evil smirk, thrusting.

"High overrated," Rory said in a raspy voice. She grabbed his face and pulled him back down.

* * *

Rory squinted at herself in the mirror as Logan came up behind her, sliding his arms around her midsection and nuzzling her neck. 

"Stop that," she said, leaning her neck in the opposite direction. "You're distracting me."

"That was the general idea. Come on, Ace, you look fine. Gorgeous, even. Let's go; it's past lunchtime and I'm starving," he said, returning to her neck.

Rory ignored him and continued to regard herself as she looked down and straightened her dress. "I feel like I'm missing something, like this outfit is missing something." She considered the color. If she had to associate it with a Crayola color, she would call it cadet blue. It was a slightly grey-ish blue that brought out her eyes, and she thought her shoes and earrings matched alright, but something was still missing. She sighed. "Great, just great."

"What?" Logan asked, looking up and seeing himself in the mirror, pressing his cheek to hers. He hugged her from behind as he looked her up and down.

"It's all your fault," she accused. "You've turned me into a fashion whore. I never used to care this much about my clothes. I mean, I always wanted to look clean and relatively cute, but you are a bad influence on me, mister."

"I know," Logan agreed readily.

"You're no help," Rory said, giving in to a laugh.

"I tell ya what, maybe this will help you," Logan said, releasing her and walking out of the bathroom into the bedroom. He rummaged around for a minute before returning with a long skinny box. "Here, try this."

Rory turned to give him a questioning look as she opened the box. Inside was a gorgeous delicate triple-stranded necklace containing an alternating mix of diamonds and sapphires. "Logan, this is too much!"

"No, it's not," Logan said, lifting it out of the box and motioning for her to turn around. She watched in the mirror as he reached over her head to gently lay it on her collarbone before fastening it at her neck. He kissed her cheek when he was done. "I was going to give it to you tonight after dinner, sort of a just-because kind of gift, but since you're being such a baby and whining, I might as well give it to you now," he said with a wink.

"Did I ever tell you that I love you?" Rory said, smiling and turning around to face him. Logan smirked as she tilted her head in an invitation to a kiss. He kissed her, but she pulled away from the kiss just as he was deepening it. "I mean, not because you buy me things, that's not why," she hurriedly clarified. "I just meant-"

"I know what you meant, Ace. Now come on, I'm not kidding. I'm really hungry," he said.

She kissed him once more. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

"You're welcome. Let's go," Logan said, stepping aside so she could exit the bathroom first. They made it to the elevator before Logan groaned.

"What?" Rory said.

"My wallet. It's on the nightstand. Do you have your room key?" Logan asked, patting his pockets to make sure.

"Yeah, sure," Rory said, rooting through her purse and coming up with the key just as the elevator dinged.

"Go on downstairs, I'll meet you down there," Logan said.

"Are you sure?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I'll be two seconds," he said.

"Ok," Rory said, stepping into the elevator.

* * *

Rory walked into the lobby, pulling her phrasebook out of her purse. She wanted to practice conversing in Italian with the young woman at the front desk. When she glanced over, however, she stopped all movement, overcome by shock. 

"I want a room. Room? Richard, what is 'room' in Italian?"

Richard sighed and thought back. "Good heavens, Emily. How should I know? French is my language."

"Oh honestly," Emily huffed. She spoke loudly at the front desk attendant, who was just getting off the phone. "Room?"

The woman managed to reply without rolling her eyes. "Yes, madam," she said in slow, deliberate English. "We have a room. How many nights?"

Emily paused. "I'm not sure. Richard, how many nights are we staying?"

"Well I don't know – how many nights are they staying?" Richard said.

"I don't know," Emily said, focusing her attention back on the woman. "Can you look up a reservation for me? Huntzberger, Logan Huntzberger."

Rory's eyes widened, and she quickly walked over to the front desk. "Grandma!" she said in surprise.

Emily turned around. "Rory! Thank heavens you're dressed," she said, rushing over to Rory and giving her a perfunctory hug.

"Um, ok," Rory said, confused and feeling a bit squished. Emily let go. "So… what are you doing here?" Rory asked.

"Well, we came to-"

"Richard, Emily!" Logan said, appearing out of nowhere, interrupting Emily. "What a wonderful surprise," he said, offering his hand to Richard who shook it automatically.

"Logan," Richard said sternly.

"So, wow, Rory told me that you guys go to Europe every summer. But I had no idea that our trips would overlap. What a coincidence, huh?" Logan said with a wide and easy smile.

"Well, it's not quite a coincidence," Richard started.

"Oh, I see, you were in Rome and looked us up? That's great, isn't that great, Rory?" Logan said, looking at her in complete seriousness.

"Huh? Oh…yeah…great," she said.

"I assume you'll want a room adjoining Rory's," he continued.

"Adjoining mine?" Rory said in surprise.

"Yes, let's see what we can work out." Logan leaned casually on the front desk. "Buongiorno, Alessandra. Do you have any rooms available next to Miss Gilmore's?"

"Buongiorno, Signore Huntzberger. I am sorry, we only have a room available at the end of the hall, but it is on the same floor. Is that still acceptable?" she answered.

"What do you say, Emily? Richard?" Logan said.

Richard and Emily looked at each other, clearly flustered. "Well," Emily said. "I suppose that would be…acceptable," she allowed.

"Excellent. Alessandra, could you organize a room for Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore?" Logan said.

"Of course," she said, beginning to type into her computer.

"So," Richard said, trying to clarify the situation, "you mean to tell me that you and Rory are traveling together in… in separate rooms?"

"Naturally," Logan said. Emily's eyebrows shot up. "Although, for safety reasons, we always get adjoining rooms. You can't be too careful when traveling internationally. Don't you agree?"

Rory looked at Logan in a mixture of admiration and confusion. She knew he was a consummate bullshitter, but this was above and beyond anything she'd seen him pull.

"I suppose so," Richard allowed. Emily and Richard both looked flabbergasted.

"Well," Logan said, rubbing his hands together. "I know you need to get your reservation secured with Alessandra, and I'm sure you're tired from your trip. Rory and I were just about to head out to lunch, but would you like to join us for dinner? That is, if you think you'll feel sufficiently rested at that time."

"We will, thank you," Emily said curtly.

"Alright, then shall we meet back here – in the lobby, that is – at 6 o'clock?" Logan suggested.

"Fine," Richard said, still slightly confused.

"Wonderful. This was such a pleasant surprise; see you later!" Logan said, offering his arm to Rory to lead her out the door. She tentatively took it and turned to her grandparents.

"Um, see you guys later," Rory said. "Bye."

She held onto his arm until they got into a waiting cab. Logan gave directions to the cab driver and she promptly dropped his arm.

"Ok, _what_ was that, and how did you… and why are they… what was that?" Rory said.

Logan expelled a breath. "Ok, first off, when I see Finn, I am going to seriously kick his ass. The message he was supposed to give us? Yeah, that was it," he said, pointing in the direction of the hotel, which was quickly shrinking behind them.

"I don't understand," Rory said.

"All I can say is thank God your mother called," Logan said, running a hand through his hair. "When I went back to the room to get my wallet, the phone was ringing, and I managed to catch it. It was your mother warning us that your grandparents were coming at an undisclosed time, and they had somehow gotten her to divulge our whereabouts. Luckily, I managed to go ahead and call the front desk the minute we hung up. I told the woman that we needed an adjoining room immediately, and to have your things moved into it as soon as possible. I'm sure she must have thought we got into a terrible fight or something, though I believe she probably thought I was just plain crazy once I requested that if at any later time I asked for an additional room, would she please lie and say the only room available was pretty far from the existing two rooms."

Rory wrapped her mind around everything he just said. The crazy arrangements were secondary to her immediate concerns. "But I still don't understand… why would they just show up here? I mean, without any warning?"

Logan smirked. "It seems that when they got wind of this little European jaunt of ours, they figured it was inappropriate."

"Inappropriate?" Rory repeated.

"Yeah, well, seems they can't stand the though of me… deflowering you," Logan said wryly.

"Oh God," Rory said, turning red. They were silent as they both reflected on the impact that the Gilmores would have on their summer plans. Rory was the first to break the silence. "Well there's no way we can keep wearing these rings. That would only add to…to the confusion." She frowned and looked down at their hands; Logan was absentmindedly twisting the pseudo-wedding band on his finger.

"Honeymoon's over, huh?" Rory said ironically.

"Well, not necessarily," Logan said, stroking his jaw.

"Logan," Rory said, a warning in her voice. "What are you thinking?"

Logan sat back in the cab. "Well, I just might have a plan…"

* * *

Next Time, on** All It's Cracked Up to Be:** Logan and Rory deal with their unexpected guests as they try to figure out a way to make it to Amsterdam on time, and they have very different ideas on how to proceed... 


	3. It Worked for Goldie and Kurt

**The Fortune Cookie's Always Right 2: All It's Cracked Up to Be**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but my imagination.

**Author's Note: **Thanks for all the great feedback. Just so everyone's aware, I have a forum about this story. You can find a link on my profile, or you can simply look for it under the Gilmore Girls category. In said forum, feel free to post about this fic. In particular, I have a thread about Rory and Logan in Europe where you can basically nominate certain locations for them to visit, and if I can work it (realistically) into the plot, they'll go there! Oh yes, and I've re-instated Gilmore-isms on my profile. So enough of my shameless self-promoting. On with the fic! It's time to learn Logan's plan…

* * *

CHAPTER 3: IT WORKED FOR GOLDIE AND KURT

* * *

"So what do you think?" Logan said, reclining in the backseat and putting his hands behind his head. He glanced out the window, seeing the buildings fly by as the cabbie navigated the streets of Rome.

"Seriously?" Rory said. "I mean, seriously, that's your plan?" She folded her arms across her chest.

"Yup," Logan said simply.

"No. Uh-uh. No way," Rory said vehemently, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Logan said easily. "It would solve everything."

"Ok, first of all, she would demand proof. Emily Gilmore is not the sort of woman to accept a hearsay elopement."

"So we'll do it for real," Logan shrugged.

"Are you kidding me?" Rory said incredulously.

"Why not? Colin and Finn are within a train ride's distance. We fend off your grandparents for a day, they come be our witnesses, and it will be for real."

"Logan, this is not something to be taken lightly," Rory said, beginning to get angry. Didn't he understand what a big deal this was?

"Who says I'm taking it lightly? I'm completely serious. I mean, let's take a historical survey here," he said, leaning forward and switching to business mode. "I tried dating you casually, but I wanted to be with you more, which freaked me out, as I have zero track record with commitment," he said. She simply listened as he continued. "I didn't think I could do it so I broke up with you, but I ended up wishing I was still with you."

Rory nodded and looked down. She definitely remembered. That was a sucky feeling.

"So, I get back together with you and I still love being with you. We break up again – your doing, this time – and I can't get over you." He said all this in a carefully detached manner, but his eyes gave away his feelings. "We get back together, go off together for the summer, and I see you every day. And we spend pretty much all day every day together, all night too. Moments when we're not together are few and far between."

Rory interrupted. "Well I'm sorry, but peeing is a solitary activity and that's all there is to it."

Logan smirked. "I agree. But don't you see what I mean? Rory, after weeks of coexisting, it's been nothing but great. So, really, at this point, how hard could living together be? We're already living together in the here and now. So getting married wouldn't change anything. Might as well elope," he finished.

"Logan," Rory said, trying to talk some sense into him, "we can't just elope. Marriage…" She struggled to find the right words. Marriage was forever, and she loved Logan and knew he loved her, but they were really too young to comprehend forever. "It's something big, something neither of us is ready for. For heaven's sake, I'm only about to be a junior in college, and you've still got one year until you graduate."

"Ok fine, but I don't see what the big deal is," Logan said, staring out the window and dropping it.

Rory rolled her eyes. If he didn't understand now, she couldn't make him understand. And if this was really how he viewed marriage, a solution to a problem or a simple coexisting of two people, he most definitely wasn't ready for it.

"So… you got any ideas?" Logan said, finally looking at her.

Rory frowned, because as a matter of fact… she didn't.

* * *

Rory looked through the open door that separated her room from Logan's. She grinned as she put in her earrings, watching Logan pace back and forth in his suit coat and tie with the phone to his ear.

"I hear what you're saying and I appreciate it, I really do, but I don't think that would help," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"_Why ever not?"_

"Because, Finn, Jedi mind tricks are not real. And even if they were real, they would only work on the weak of mind. You've met Richard Gilmore, have you not?"

"_Oh bloody hell. We're dealing with Richard and Emily?"_

"Yes, Finn."

"_Well, shit. I forgot that's who her grandparents were. Um…I don't think I can help you, mate. Let me put Colin on the phone."_

Logan rolled his eyes.

"No luck?" Rory called through the door.

Logan made a face at her and she tried not to laugh.

"Colin, buddy, whatcha got for me?"

"_Well, I say you bite the bullet and tell them that you and Rory have been living in sin and if it works for Goldie and Kurt then it will work for you."_

"Yeah, I don't think that would go over so well."

"_Or you could just give them the graphic version of the things you do to their granddaughter. Like, for example, when you -"_

"Colin," Logan said, his voice low. "You are dangerously close to picturing my girlfriend naked. And that would be over the line. And right now you are so close to the line that four countries' distance will not be enough to save you if you cross that line, do you get me?"

"_Jeez. So touchy. Ok, then, how 'bout this: you tell them you're gay. That your drag name is Princess Buttercup and you have an insatiable taste for Dread Pirates."_

Logan rolled his eyes. "I'm not telling them I'm gay, Colin." He heard a burst of laughter from the other room and looked over to see Rory shaking silently and mouthing 'I'm sorry!'

"_Ok, well, I've either run out of ideas or I've stopped caring. Either way, when are you guys coming to Amsterdam?"_

"We're working on that, ok?" Logan said. "Look, we just gotta deal with this first. I'll call you when we know something."

"_Fine, but frankly I got a little creeped out visiting a sex museum with Finn. You don't watch porn with your bros, and you don't go to sex museums with them, either. It's just not right. So you need to get your ass up here before he decides we ought to share any more experiences."_

"Ok, fine. I'll call you when we're on the way."

"_Thanks, Princess. And until then, 'keep it happy, keep it snappy, keep it gay…'" _he sang.

"Bye," Logan said, hanging up the phone. "Him and his Carmen Ghia," he muttered to himself. He walked through the open doorway and sat in a chair in Rory's room. "Well, Colin doesn't have any ideas. You come up with anything?"

"No," Rory said, leaning into the mirror as she put the finishing touches on her lipstick. She stepped back and capped the lipstick. "I guess we'll just see if they leave of their own accord. I mean, you don't think they'd really follow us around Europe indefinitely, do you?"

Logan shrugged. "I don't know. You know them better than I do."

Rory thought about it… and decided she'd rather not think about it. "Time for dinner," she said, tapping her watch.

"Fine," Logan said, rising from the chair and pulling down his jacket. "Let's go to the firing squad with our heads held high."

"I don't know why you're being so morose. You're the one who used that famously wily mind of yours to twist them 'round your little finger earlier today," she said, stepping forward to straighten his tie.

"True, but now they've had time to formulate a counterattack," Logan said.

"Good point," Rory agreed. At that moment, the phone rang, making her jump backwards.

"Skittish much?" Logan said, raising an eyebrow.

"Quiet, you. This is supposed to be my room, and I don't think I'm allowed any gentleman visitors," she cooed in a Southern accent. She walked over to the phone. "Hello?"

"_Ok, this thing with you being literally across an ocean is killing me. Killing me, do you hear me? I mean, it's worse than that time that I stood on one side of old man Walker's creek and you stood on the other and we pretended there was an ocean between us and we pretended to do Morse code by tapping our fingernails on our teeth only we didn't know anything other than S.O.S. so I stepped across the creek to join you and then we went to lunch."_

"Wow, Mom. I don't even want to think about how much that trip down memory lane just cost you in air time."

"_Money is no object. Which, isn't that a funny saying? I mean, money can be an object. Money as an abstract is really more of an idea or a system, but money sure can be an object. What did they think Scrooge McDuck was counting on those cold, cold fictional London nights in Mickey's Christmas Carol? What do they think is in those suitcases on Deal or No Deal? Because if those suitcases don't contain or at least represent money, what the hell are they playing for?"_

"Mom, did you seriously call me to talk about Deal or No Deal? We don't even watch that show."

"_That's so not the point. The point is you are there and I am here and I can't talk to you whenever I want to tell you something, especially now, when I am having a problem. Some might call it a crisis."_

"Well you've got me right now. What do you want to tell me? Wait – before you start, let me just say that I have a ginormous problem with Grandma and Grandpa being here, a problem which I think you might have exacerbated by telling them the exact location of my hotel, but we'll discuss my legal emancipation later."

"_Oh, honey, I thought Yale would make you smarter. You're over 18, you don't need to be emancipated anymore. You can just kick yourself out of the house like every other rebellious kid in America. Anyway, about my problem."_

"Yes, your problem."

"_So I was watching the Style network and some haughty woman – it's always the haughty ones, you know – said that the new fashion in hair is to have soft flowing waves, and if you're going to have bangs, they need to be side-swept, not cut straight across. My problem is this: which should I do? And can you combine them or just do one or the other? Because I'm confused."_

"Mom, come on, I have an actual problem here."

"_What, you don't think this is a problem? What if I combine my bangs and my waves and I end up looking like Alice Cooper? Luke won't love me if I look like Alice Cooper. Could you see Luke kissing Alice Cooper?"_

Rory sighed and rubbed her forehead. "No, I couldn't."

"_Neither can I. There's not a single solitary rocker on the list that I can see Luke kissing. Wait – I take that back. I had that dream once where Luke was kissing Gene Simmons and I didn't know if that meant he was gay or secretly had a really long tongue."_

"This was before you started dating him, right?"

"_Of course! I know all about his tongue now."_

"Dirty!"

Lorelai gasped. _"How can you turn a conversation about my hair into something dirty?"_

"Ok, can we get to my problem now?"

"_Yes. Is it Logan? Every time he comes around, does your London Bridge wanna go down?"_

"Mom! That really _was_ dirty!"

"_Sorry. You started it."_

"Ok, can we get serious now? I'm gonna be late for dinner with Grandma and Grandpa."

"_Oh, that's right. What happened?"_

"Well after you got off the phone with Logan, he did some quick thinking and arranged for us to have separate rooms with Grandma and Grandpa in a room down the hall. And before you ask, I can't even begin to remember how it all went down, because everything was moving so fast that the last thing I remember is agreeing to have dinner tonight."

"_I see. So the problem is that they're there?"_

"Yes! I mean, what are they doing here? Checking up on me? I'm in college! The days of checking up on me are long gone! And what are they gonna do, have Logan beat up for sleeping with me?" Rory said in frustration.

"_Ok, well, Mommy will pretend that last part wasn't out loud. Are you wanting to get rid of them? Because that seems like Logan's area of expertise."_

"We're not really having any success in that arena. Nothing polite springs to mind."

"_Who needs to be polite? We're talking about my parents here. The word 'subtle' is not in their vocabulary. You have to ram your life choices down their throats until they resent you for breathing their air."_

"Thanks, Mom, that's really helpful," Rory said, rolling her eyes. She heard Lorelai sigh.

"_Well, kid, in all seriousness, I think you just need to tell them to back off, or to confront them about their summer plans. You're practically an adult now, and they can't push you around like this. Paying for Yale does not give them the right to tell you what to do in between semesters."_

"I guess," Rory said reluctantly.

"_Sorry I'm not more help. There are no easy solutions when it comes to the Gilmores."_

"I know. Thanks anyway, Mom," Rory said. "I think we should probably go now; making Grandma wait will only exacerbate the situation."

"_Ok, sweets. Give Logan a very formal handshake for me, and call me after you resolve the grandparent situation."_

"Will do. Bye, Mom." Rory hung up. She turned to face Logan and took a deep breath. "Let's go," she said with an air of finality. Logan raised his eyebrows and followed her out the door.

* * *

Rory looked around the restaurant as Richard and Logan traded golfing stories. She picked at her food, feeling a general sense of unease about the whole situation. Logan was being great; he was carrying on with her grandparents just as if they casually met at a party, or as if this type of thing happened all the time. Part of her knew that he was doing it for her, but another part of her wondered if he and her grandparents really did live in the same world. Was it a world she wanted to live in too? She was also bothered by her grandmother's silence. Emily Gilmore was never quiet for long. If she was, that only meant that something was severely wrong.

"Richard, do save your sport stories for another time, you're boring us to death," she suddenly interrupted in her society voice. And here it comes. "Let's make plans. Last year Rory and I had such a lovely time, and perhaps this summer we could revisit some of our favorite destinations. Now let's see, how about…"

Rory let her grandmother's words fade into background noise as she began to envision the summer. Her mother was right. They were going to follow her and Logan around. At first, she wondered if they would simply try to make her come home, but this was far worse. She could simply refuse to come home, but a whole summer of this would be intolerable. It would be a summer full of separate rooms, of clandestine trysts. Though it was mildly thrilling to sneak around, she didn't want to have to spend Logan's last summer that way.

"Grandma," Rory said softly. The words came out of her mouth before she even realized it. "I don't think this is such a good idea."

Emily looked shocked. "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, I am shocked. You know it's rude to interrupt me when I'm speaking."

Rory's face turned red and something inside her snapped. "Rude? Rude! You want to talk about rude? How about just showing up out of the blue and crashing our vacation, huh? You think that's rude?"

Richard set his fork down. "Rory, you shouldn't talk to your grandmother that way."

"I'm sorry, Grandpa," she said automatically. "Wait – no, I'm not sorry! I mean, this is too ridiculous for words!"

Emily snorted. "I don't know what you're talking about, young lady. All we did was happen to join you on your summer vacation. You know we summer in Europe every year, surely you're not surprised."

Rory's eyes grew wide. "You're kidding, right? You mean you actually want me to believe that this whole thing is a big coincidence? That you didn't come here on purpose?"

Richard raised a hand. "Emily, if I may. Rory, you seem to know why we are here, and let's not pretend otherwise. If you are going to travel in Europe with your boyfriend, that's fine, but you will do so with a chaperone."

Logan looked at Rory. He knew this was her battle, and he would wait for her signal before trying to smooth things over. Rory met his glance long enough to shake her head ever so slightly. "Grandma, Grandpa, I appreciate your concern, but I'm a grown woman and I can make my own decisions, and if I decide to spend the summer with Logan, then that is my decision to make."

"Rory, you've got to understand," Emily said, exasperated but slightly pleading. "We just don't want you to lose your most precious gift. We don't want you to waste it on a boyfriend." She said the last word as if it were some awful disease. Logan looked back and forth across the table. They knew he was still there, right?

Rory sighed. "I know the ideal you have in your head is for me to wait until I'm married, but I hate to break it to you, Grandma, that gift has already been given," she said significantly. All eyes turned to Logan. Yep, they definitely knew he was still there.

Emily gasped. "Logan Huntzberger! I heard the rumors about you, you womanizing cad, but I never thought - "

"Grandma!" Rory interrupted. "It wasn't Logan." Logan was looking rather ill at this point.

"Not Logan?" Emily spluttered.

Rory cringed at her imminent confession. "It was Dean, Grandma. Remember him?" At this point, everybody at the table was staring at her. It had to go down on record as the most awkward of all awkward moments.

Emily finally broke the silence. "Are you at least the pill? Because heaven knows we don't want you following in your mother's footsteps."

"Emily!" Richard said.

Rory looked as if she'd been slapped. "I'm still a responsible person, Grandma," she said coldly. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Emily realized how her comment came across. "Rory, you know that's not what I meant," she said, frustrated. "I love you, and I'm glad you're on this earth, but I don't want you to have to make any unnecessary sacrifices. I want you to have a wonderful life."

"I am having a wonderful life. And if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go back to it." Rory scooted her chair back and threw her napkin on the table before storming out of the restaurant.

Logan was frozen to his seat, unsure of what to do. He was used to being the kid in the family fights – he wasn't sure what to do in somebody else's. "Um, this should cover ours," he said, pulling out his wallet and tossing some money on the table. "I'd better go after her. I – I'm sure we'll see you back home. Goodbye." He hurried after Rory.

* * *

"Oh my God, can you believe them?" Rory said, pacing back and forth in her room.

"I know. They're almost as bad as my family," Logan joked, shutting the door behind them.

Rory ignored him. "I mean, why can't people just leave us the hell alone? Why create such drama on what was supposed to be a carefree vacation?" she said.

Logan strode over to her, grasping her shoulders and stalling her in her pacing. "Hey, hey, slow down. Listen, I promise, from this moment on, it's going to be a carefree vacation. We'll do whatever we want, whenever we want, wherever we want, and everyone else be damned!"

Rory calmed down, and he dropped his arms. "We can't just leave Colin and Finn in Amsterdam," she pointed out.

"Fuck Colin and Finn, we're ignoring people, remember?" Logan said playfully. His grin was catching.

"Yeah, right on, brother!" Rory said. she paused thoughtfully. "Though I really should still call my mom every time we go to a new city. You know, so we have at least one emergency contact."

"Ok," Logan agreed. There was another pause. "And, y'know, it really wouldn't be very responsible of us to just leave Colin and Finn in Amsterdam."

"Yeah," Rory said.

Logan sighed. "So much for paving our own way."

"I don't know about that," Rory said.

"What?" Logan said.

"Well, I say we go live it up in Amsterdam for the weekend, party like it's 1999 and then go have a fabulous summer. Forget my grandparents, forget all of this relationship angst. They can take our trust funds, but they can never take our freedom!"

Logan laughed out loud. "Aye, and a bonnie time we'll have too," he said, doing his best William Wallace. "To Amsterdam?" he queried in his normal voice.

"To Amsterdam!"

* * *

Next time, on **All It's Cracked Up to Be:** Rory and Logan meet the boys in Amsterdam, and somebody winds up in jail… 


End file.
